


Dark Times

by Courage_dear_heart



Series: Spark of Madness [2]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Filled with all the inappropriateness Harvey has to offer, Harvey Bullock deserves love, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character(s), Smut, character resurrection, when your ex girlfriend is Harley Quinn things get messy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-01-31 03:16:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12667128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Courage_dear_heart/pseuds/Courage_dear_heart
Summary: Harvey had a job to do and right now he should not be following the lead to a case one of his officers was capable of handling. Curiosity got the better of him though and he was quick to discover that no one stayed dead in Gotham, especially not those that could be twisted into weapons by Fish Mooney and Hugo Strange. (Circa Season 3)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Technically this is a sequel to Spark of Madness, but could also be read as a stand-alone fiction.

Of all the luck in all the world, Harvey Bullock had to have the shittiest. Acting Captain of the GCPD.  _Real honor._  Right. Being up to his ears in paperwork and having every move under a microscope was  _not,_ in fact, an honor – more of a punishment for all the crap he'd done wrong.

Of all of it though, Harvey hated the reporters the most. All the flashing lights of the cameras, seeing his ugly mug plastered on every paper in Gotham, stupid question after stupid question. He could do without it.

However, the power he had as acting captain was pretty nice. The ability to send in all available units when Jim Gordon decided to dig into Hugo Strange's lab? Yeah,  _that_ felt good. Diving into paperwork at his desk afterward, not so much.

Fresh cup of coffee, box of glazed donuts from Tindy's down the street, oldies station playing some of the greatest hits, and Harvey put his feet up. Barnes ever came back and saw the scuff marks he'd put in the wood, he'd hear it for a week. But for now the office was his.

It'd been about an hour before he started  _almost_ -dozing. Truth be told this new schedule affected him a little more than he'd like to admit. The coffee just wasn't doing it at the moment. He stood to stretch his legs, cracked his back, and stared down at the file Alvarez had thrown down some time ago. Squinting, he read and re-read a few words.

And suddenly he was wide awake, grabbing his glasses from where they rested atop his head and pushing them up the bridge of his nose. 'Hostage situation' and 'held at gunpoint' and ' _scars_ '. He lowered himself into his seat at the memory, mouth agape, breathing sharp.

" _Alvarez!_ "

Silence. Nothing. He barely grasped the case file in his hand in the hurry to get up and out of the room. Surveying the precinct, Harvey called one more time.

"Went home, sir," someone called back.

Punching in his number on the phone at his old desk, Harvey waited impatiently as it rang.

"So help me, if it goes to voicemail…"

"Hello?"

"Alvarez. Yeah, I'm gonna need you to walk me through the call you got from this…" he paused to open the file and read the name off. "-Frang guy."

"Bullock, I'm in the middle of dinner."

"Tough. Captain calls, you talk. Now shoot."

There was a heavy sigh. "Mr. Frang called last night – 1 a.m. – said he was held at gunpoint by some psycho with scars all over."

" _Was_ ," Harvey reiterated. "So he called after the guy left."

"Look, Bullock, I did all the follow-up questions and got a description of the guy. If this is because I didn't do the paperwork right…" Alvarez droned.

Harvey flipped through the folder, realizing he hadn't even checked for that. "You didn't. Where's that sheet? Not in here – no description of this guy whatsoever." He slammed his hand down on the desk when he came up with nothing.

"Must be in my desk still. I'll give it to you on Wednesday."

"I'll just grab the damn thing now."

"-I have the key."

"Fuck!"

There was a long pause before Alvarez started talking again. "Look, Harvey, I'm on a date with a pretty woman and I've gotta be honest here: you're ruining the mood."

"Do your fuckin' paperwork right and I wouldn't have to cockblock!" Harvey felt his face reddening due to his screaming. A few passing officers stared at him.

"You're right, my mistake. I'll get it to you on Wednesday."

Harvey sighed, holding his head. "Do you remember what the guy looked like?" Another long pause. "Alvarez!"

"…No."

"Useless." Harvey slammed the phone down then, flipping through the paperwork one more time. Everything  _but_ the description of the perp. Beautiful.

Running a hand down his beard, he glanced at Alvarez's empty desk. A couple paperclips and a few weird glances and Harvey was still one paper short. There had to be a master key, but he had no freggin' clue where Barnes kept it.

So, last resort, he grabbed the file once again, slammed his office door, and made a call to Mr. Frang.

"Sir, I  _know_ one of my officers took down all the information…right, but…no, I'm acting Captain…yes, I understand that's unbelievable but…well." He ran a hand through his hair. "Look if you're at the shop right now I could come down and…you're not. Right. Is it open?" Harvey grabbed a pen and took down a name. "Alexis Kirk. Got it. And you won't be in for a few days? …Ah, mental health day, right."

Well that phone call got him nowhere good. This Alexis chick wasn't even working when it happened, but she was working today and maybe he could scope out the place. Harvey could feel pressure in his chest and the room felt a few degrees warmer. And then the memories started like a floodgate and he had to sit down to steady his breathing. This wasn't right. He had a job to do and right now he should be focusing on that, not following the lead to a case one of his officers could handle.

Yet he was putting on his jacket and ducking out the door before anyone could ask him any questions. On the corner of 19th and Ritting was a quaint music shop called the Platter-Poruim. Harvey had always wanted to check the place out but his schedule usually didn't allow it. His oversleeping didn't help either.

Coffee in hand, Harvey stepped inside. This time of night he needed something to keep him going or he'd fall asleep before shift ended. Sipping his drink, he glanced around as a bell announced his entrance. Sheet music, a corner of old records, some guitars, bongos, woodwinds…you name it. Yet no broken, boarded up window or any sign of a struggle. Soft music played from a radio somewhere. A loud squeak startled him, nearly making him spill the coffee all over his leather.

A door down a long hallway opened and someone stepped out. "I'll be right with you, sir," a woman spoke and Harvey glanced up in time to see a petite redhead peeking out the door then ducking right back in. Harvey drew closer, narrowing his eyes as he glanced down the hall. "Increasing the size of your reed might make things a bit more difficult on some notes, as you can tell, but I think you're ready for it."

"Thanks, Miss Alexis," a child's voice spoke and Harvey heard some movement in the room.

When his phone vibrated in his pocket, Harvey groaned and doubled-back to the door, glancing at the caller ID. Pennyworth. What in God's name did he want  _now?_ Ducking out of the store, Harvey frustratingly answered the ringing thing while trudging to his car.

Another crisis. Another 'I-need-more-info-on-these-monsters' moment and there Harvey was in the middle of a shitshow when he got back to GCPD – empty-handed, mind. Alfred looking mighty infuriated, officers with a dazed deer-in-the-headlights look while he scolded them. Perfect.

Harvey stooped behind passing officers, held up a newspaper beside his head, and ducked into his office before Alfred could find him. He needed answers, sure, but with Jim chasing after Lee, he felt like all Alfred's questions fell on his shoulders and Harvey's mind was elsewhere.

Stuffing a doughnut in his mouth, he searched through the phonebook for the Platter-Porium. Glazed gloriousness half eaten, Harvey put it down to dial. Alfred pulled the door open, already starting his spiel about how Gotham deserved answers and he and Bruce were tempted to leave the city but he had questions before they went anywhere. Harvey held up a finger.

"Hello?"

"Yeah, hi. I was wondering what your hours are tonight," Harvey was adamant about getting this information, even if he had a multitude of things on his plate currently.

"We close at eight o'clock," came the female's voice.

Harvey was tempted to speak with her then, but decided against it – what with the fury Alfred was radiating after he learned it was a personal call and not monster-related. He thanked the woman and hung up.

"Look, Alfred, the most we can do is wait Jim out. I called him for more info and right now he's hunting down his doctor lady. He'll have answers for us, no problem." Hunting her down in  _his_ car, might he add. He had to take one of GCPD's for now and, considering he was Captain, he could manage that.

"Jim's told Master B all he knows. What I need right now is your input on monster sightings. Have you or have you not  _seen_ any?" Harvey glanced up at the ceiling with a sigh. "I take that as all the evidence I need. Thanks for your time, Bullock. See you in a few months."

He figured that was his cue to leave for the night, but after a few more officers had him sign off on paperwork, it was past 8.

He swung around to the Platter-Porium again anyway, wondering if he could take a look outside the place. When he arrived, he saw movement and lights in the shop but didn't get out of the car. When the lights went off, he watched and waited, hand constantly on his holster, ready to get out at any moment.

Three minutes ticked by before the door opened. The redhead locked the door, tossing the keys in her purse. He sighed. She was probably just closing up. He watched her glance around the street and unlock the car parked out front.

Harvey followed her. He knew he shouldn't have, knew he was long overdue for a brewski, but it was for her protection. If this was the perp he thought it was, the guy was shady and had a history of violence against women.

After she pulled into the driveway, Harvey stopped just before her house and watched to see if she was alone. The interior lights of her car told him she was, but she refused to get out. When the door did open, Harvey decided it was time to move on, grab a drink, stop being paranoid.

The parking lot was dimly lit which added to his anxiety as he made his way to the bar. This couldn't take long. He was in desperate need of sleep and on the way in he'd gotten a call from the shift manager asking for him to stop in before going home – he had some questions about a few new officers starting. So no all-nighter. Half hour, tops.

There were footsteps behind him but he thought nothing of it until they got really close and hurried. Just before he could turn to see what was happening, he had a knife pressed to his back.

"Woah, woah, hey," he called, hands rising in innocence.  _This is it,_ he thought for a moment. "You can have my wallet, just let me…" and he stepped forward quickly, spinning on his heels and grabbing the wrist of the person, pressing his fingers in just hard enough for them to drop the knife. He sent them a right hook then reached for the weapon. With it in his hands, he stared his attacker right in the face. A woman. His mouth dropped open when she moved her hand away from the spot he'd hit her. "Alexis?"

"Why the Hell were you following me? And how do you know my name?" she pulled her fingers away, checking for blood.

Harvey sighed. "I was just checking out the place after what happened yesterday."

"So you followed me  _home_?" She snapped. "Wait. You're Detective Bullock, aren't you?"

"In the flesh."

She still looked confused. "What happened yesterday?"

He narrowed his eyes a moment. "Frang didn't tell you?"

"What?"

"About the breaking and entering…?" Harvey waited, dropped his hands to his sides. "You  _are_  Alexis, right? From The Platter-Porium?" she nodded. "You've gotta be kiddin' me…" he looked up, shook his head. "Frang didn't tell you he was held at gunpoint last night?" At her wide-eyed reaction, Harvey knew the answer. "Great boss ya got there, really. He's fine, by the way."

"Niles? Niles Frang was held at gunpoint and didn't say something to get himself shot?" she laughed. "Honestly, that's a feat."

"He told me you weren't working last night, but you would be today. I just wanted to keep an eye out and make sure the jackass didn't come back." Harvey looked around the parking lot as a few guys walked to their cars. "While you're here, I got a few follow-up questions I'm wondering if you could help me with." He glanced at the knife in his hand, spun it so the handle was facing her, and offered it back.

"I don't really know anything, but I'll try," she spoke, looking over his shoulder to read the neon sign of Finnigan's Bar.

"By the way, next time you go wielding a knife, just a suggestion but put it to their neck – you're more likely to avoid the fisticuffs."

"You were too tall," she shrugged, taking the knife from him with a short laugh.

So she followed him into the bar, closing the switchblade and shoving it in her purse.

"We gotta make this quick, I'm kinda ditching work right now," he grabbed the door for her.

She raised an eyebrow at him as she entered. "You're acting Captain now, aren't you? And you're playing hooky?"

Harvey groaned. "Look, I didn't ask for this, it was just thrown at me. Besides, I used to do this when I was just a detective."

"That doesn't make it any better."

"Okay, all-mighty voice of reason, sit." He pulled out a barstool for her at the counter and ordered a beer for himself. When he turned to her, she said she'd have the same and Harvey hid his surprise. "Pegged you as a wine kinda gal."

She shrugged. "Anything with alcohol right now, thanks."

"Okay, so Frang didn't mention anything about the guy, we know that, but have you had any suspicious activity at work lately? Any weird customers?"

She pondered that a moment then thanked the bartended when he brought their drinks. "It's a music shop, we always get strange customers." She took a sip. "Weird goth kids with their crazy colored hair and those huge pants with the chains on them." A nod. "But there was this guy the other day…he had these scars."

"Scars," Harvey repeated. "By his mouth?"

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "No. A few on his arms and neck –like he'd been involved in something pretty recently. He just had that  _edge_ , yanno? Like…chaos."

"Did he have dark hair…like black hair?" Now this was the question Harvey knew he wasn't supposed to ask. He was supposed to ask for more details and hope she could give them. Prompting her like this could blow up in his face, but he needed to know. Maybe she hadn't seen his face well enough to see those scars by his mouth.

She shook her head. "No. Not black hair. Reddish."

Harvey bit his tongue, looking down a moment before taking a long drink. So it wasn't Tom. He'd hoped it was. He'd hoped that Tom would show his ugly mug back in this city so Harvey could beat him to death.

"Must be him."

"That's…the one who held Niles at gunpoint?" Alexis asked.

Harvey nodded. "Did he say anything to you?"

"Called me 'gorgeous'," she recounted. "Just flipped through some records and kept looking at me. I thought he was going to rob the place with how shifty he was acting, but another customer came in and he left."

Harvey finished his drink in two more gulps and placed the mug on the bar, not lifting his eyes from the left over froth.

"Your boss told me he's takin' time off. Are you gonna be in, in the next few days?"

Alexis nodded but he wasn't looking at her. "It's me and my coworker covering his shifts. I'm in all this week."

"Good." Harvey pulled out his wallet, tossed some cash on the bar, and stood. "I'll be in touch."


	2. Chapter 2

"Bullock," a voice called over the cacophony of the precinct. "You got a phone call."

Harvey groaned, rolling his eyes before trudging up the stairs to the office once again, car keys in hand. He'd just decided to take a break and the pastry shop down the street was sounding mighty good right now, but it would have to wait.

He didn't even round the desk, just reached over to pick up and punch in the numbers for the parked call.

"Yeah?"

"Harvey? This is Lexi, from the music shop."

"Oh, yeah, hey." He stretched his leg back and kicked the door closed, rounding his desk to take a seat. "Is there somethin' I can do for you?"

She sighed. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but there are masks all over the building."

Harvey shook his head, eyes closed. " _Masks_?"

"Yeah. Like…clown masks. All over."

"Clown masks."

"That's what I'm saying," she groaned. "I know I could have just called a random officer but you seemed really adamant about this and…" she trailed off. "I haven't even gone in yet because I don't know what the Hell to expect."

Harvey stood once again. "Okay, don't. I'll…uh…I'll be right there."

He got there in ten minutes to find Alexis leaned against her car up front, key in hand. He jogged over slowly and stopped beside her, gazing up at the bricks.

"Holy mother of Pennywise," he gaped at the building littered with plastic clown masks then glanced down at Alexis. "Mind if I take a walk around before we go in?"

She motioned for him to go. "Be my guest."

The windows were all intact, back door was locked, the ladder to the fire escape was down, but Harvey was not feeling very athletic at the moment. When he returned to Alexis, she was trying to calm down an irate customer. Harvey heard enough and flashed his badge as he approached.

"Look, sir, I get that you're worried about being first in line for the latest Dave Mathews album, but I'm gonna need you to back it down until we're done here."

Alexis bit back a laugh and the two of them watched as the man stormed back to his car.

"I would yell at you about shushing away our customers, but…"

"Hey, you're dishing it, I can take it."

She shook her head, small smile still on her face. "Did you find anything?"

"Your fire escape ladder always down?"

Her eyes widened and Harvey had his answer before she even spoke, "No…"

He nodded. "'S'what I thought." With that, he grabbed his gun out of its holster and held his hand out for her keys to which she gave him tentatively. "Stay here." And she did.

The place was dark, curtains drawn still and Harvey fumbled for the light switch. A quick look around got him nowhere and he came back outside, gun safely back in its holster again.

"Well?"

He shook his head. "You can go in." As she bustled passed him, Harvey wondered where her vehemence came from. "Anything missing? Out of place?" he droned, following her in.

"No," her voice was soft and expression hard to read. "I'm sorry for calling you out here for this."

He raised his hand. "Hey, no problem. Somethin's goin' on here." It'd been three weeks since Alvarez got wind of the case and since it had been quiet. "Probably some snot-nosed punks playing some kind of prank. You hear about those clown sightings in East End?" She shook her head. "Couple of my guys got a call last week about some clowns blocking traffic. Went to check it out and found nothin' but one of those toy horn things lying in the street."

With the monsters running loose, he didn't have time or muscle to put more push on investigating strange human occurrences. The freaks running around were more dangerous in his mind.

"So you think it might be connected?"

He simply shrugged. "Could be. Might be something completely different. You never know with Gotham."

She sighed, tossing her purse down. When she turned back to Harvey he was eyeing a guitar hanging on a column.

"You play?"

"Huh? Oh…a…a little," he shrugged. "Nothin' spectacular." There was a silence. "Do you?"

"Just started and I'm horrible," she shook her head. "My coworker is amazing so he's trying to teach me while I teach him saxophone."

Harvey smiled. "No way. You play the sax?" he bit back his innuendo and tried to behave like a proper adult. "That's sweet."

She shrugged. "I guess if you're into smooth jazz."

Harvey chuckled, shaking his head when he looked back at the guitar. "So I should probably get back…" he stepped toward the counter, grabbing one of the store's business cards lying there. He flipped it over and started writing down a number. "This is my cell. If anything else happens, call me there first." He didn't want Alvarez to get wind of this one. Not yet.

"Captain," she interrupted and he still got a jolt whenever someone called him that – especially a woman. He raised his eyes to her. "What am I supposed to do about the masks?"

"Oh. Right…" he trailed off. "Got a ladder?"

She did, in fact, have a ladder in the utility closet which was by the stairs that lead to the roof. Harvey decided to check that out as well while she took the ladder out front. The roof was clear. No sign of anyone, but there was a torn up box from the local hardware store. He brought it down with him and stood beside the ladder Alexis was already on.

"Question," he paused. "What are those up there with?" He narrowed his eyes and noticed she was wearing gloves.

"Uh…" she grabbed the mask off easily and pulled at the brick then handed them down to Harvey, slowly stepping down the ladder. "No idea."

Harvey turned the metal over in his hand and Alexis sighed. He gave her a look.

"I'm wearing these gloves 'cause I thought you were dusting for prints."

"Oh," was all he said at first. "Well shit," he read the back of the box. "Your little friend knew to get brick hangers. Else he'd have to drill into your building which would have alerted the neighbors." He showed her the box the hangers came in. "Found this on your roof."

His phone rang and he grumbled, cussing under his breath. "Bullock…yeah…I…you incompetent piece of…get back out there and take him out. He had a  _what_? ... harpoon…really?"

Alexis tried to ignore his conversation and focus on the mask in her hands, but Harvey's words startled her. What was going on in this city?

When he ended the call, she vocalized her realization. "This was hand-painted," she showed him. "Either they did it themselves or they bought it from a shop like that…I've never seen anything like it."

Harvey pocketed his phone, finally taking a look at the mask in her hands. "Alexis…" he paused.

"What?"

"Got any more gloves?"

"Yeah…why?"

"-That's not paint. That's blood."

She practically dropped the thing on the sidewalk then, breath caught in her throat. Leaving the mask on the ladder, she rushed inside the shop. Harvey was tempted to go after her, see if she was alright, but the need for a cigarette was too strong. So he pulled out his pack and lit one, inhaling deeply.

This could be tied to those clowns in East End. This could be tied to a lot things at the moment and Harvey had so much on his plate with these monsters, he really should be getting back to GCPD. The look on Alexis' face when she came back out made Harvey ache. God, he wished pretty girls weren't always stumbling into creepy shit in this city. God, he wished he hadn't just noticed she was pretty.

She gave him a pair of gloves and he offered her his hip flask. Though she seemed tentative, she unscrewed the cap and poured some back.

"What the fuck is going on in this city?" she asked quietly.

Harvey really didn't want her to know that this was just the tip of the iceberg. This was just a little peek behind the curtain of the grotesque and horror Gotham was starting to offer. Freaks running the streets, mobsters owning businesses, dead bodies popping up everywhere, pretty women getting killed by underground crime bosses…

He closed his eyes for a second and breathed sharply through his nose before looking at her again. She was offering his flask back, tucking her red hair behind her pierced ear, and staring at his cigarette hanging from his lips.

"You stayin' open today?"

She shrugged slowly then nodded. "Called my boss when you were on your way. He said as long as nothing was taken, I better have the place open."

Harvey scoffed. "Sounds like a dick." She gave him a look then shook her head, laughing. When her eyes trailed upward toward the building again, Harvey's eyes followed after he stomped out his cigarette.

"Do you need all of them or…?"

Harvey took two for good measure. Tossed them in one of the music shop's white plastic bags and threw them in his trunk. Alexis was on the ladder getting the rest down when he drove back to work.

Harvey was a good detective, a decent captain, but with something like this lurking he felt like he needed Jim more than ever

For once his phone didn't go to voicemail when he called. "Jim?!"

"Hiya, Harvey."

"Look, I got lotsa questions, but first, what the Hell? I sound like a jaded prom date, but why haven't you returned any of my calls?"

"Got busy."

"Where  _are_ you?"

There was a sound on the other line that Harvey knew well – mouth popping off the lip of a bottle. "Home."

" _Home_? Jim, you're back in Gotham and you haven't even told me?" Harvey was livid. "How long?"

"'Bout a week."

"A week."

"Yeah. And?"

Harvey ran a hand down his face. " _And_ I thought it was an unspoken rule to call when you got back from chasing down the good doctor, partner."

"I don't work for GCPD anymore, Harv. We aren't partners. Hell, you're captain now."

"-Are you drinking?" Harvey accused. "Okay, whatever, look, I've got this case I'm poking around on and I could use your help."

"Fine. Meet me at my place. Oh, and Harvey?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you pick up a six pack?"

When Jim hung up, Harvey groaned then practically threw his phone at the wall.


	3. Chapter 3

Six weeks later Barnes was back in rotation. Back to chewing Harvey out for stupid shit he did on the job, back to threatening him because of Jim. Honestly, it was a headache. Better than having the media breathing down his neck, but this Jervis Tetch shit was getting old. Tracking down Jim and saving his ass was getting old. Getting him to leave crime scenes because he wasn't a detective anymore was infuriating.

"Jim, I'm not gonna tell you again. Barnes has me by the  _balls_ , okay? You need to cut it out."

Yet his warnings always fell on deaf ears and reckless Jim was consistently getting him into deep shit with the captain. Threats of being fired were flying daily. Yet Harvey never once gave up on Jim. He couldn't.

And then there was Jim's suicide ideation brought on by Tetch. Harvey knew it wasn't really  _Jim_ , but the thought still shook him to the core. How many months ago was it that Jim was talking Harvey off the ledge? One drunken night that Harvey's gun was looking mighty fine and the bullets felt heavy in the palms of his hands. The coward had called his partner, tanked-up and proclaiming what he'd thought of doing. Jim didn't leave him alone for a week.

"Don't argue with me, you stubborn ass –we're getting  _shots_." Harvey motioned to the bartender, hand clamping down on Jim's shoulder so he couldn't leave. "Look partner, you did the same for me, remember?"

"No," Jim's eyebrows furrowed. "I remember you being so drunk you threw up on your gun and couldn't load the bullets. This isn't the same."

"Yeah, well, same message."

"…How?"

"Would you just shut up and take the shot?" Harvey's goal wasn't to get plastered tonight, but he needed to get in Jim's head. No tiptoeing around either. "So, Tetch's little hocus pocus on you is…"

"-Gone, yeah." Jim grumbled after taking two shots with Harvey. "Still pissed he got away."

Harvey nodded in agreement, eyes closing for a second as he fought off the image of Alice Tetch impaled on a pike, blood dripping like Chinese water torture below. He held his head, groaning with a rub of his temples.

"Hey, you okay?" Jim's voice broke through and Harvey's eyes jolted back open.

"Yeah, m'fine," Harvey lied. Jim raised his chin, disbelief plastered across his face, but to Harvey's surprise he dropped it. "I'm supposed to be askin'  _you_  that, partner."

Jim simply grunted at him before taking another shot.

_James Gordon is gonna get you killed one day._

Barnes' words rang in Harvey's ears and he decided another shot would do the trick. Hell, maybe four more just in case. He was feeling things again, now that he had time to focus on anything aside from acting captain. The nightmares were back and no amount of alcohol or pills could change that fact. Jim's emptiness was evident and it killed Harvey knowing what this job did to the white knight – what it'd done to  _him_. He'd told him: no heroes. Hadn't he? Hadn't Dix told him the same thing? Had  _he_ listened? No. But he'd been hopeful that Jim would.

And here they were with a bottle between them and nothing but silence to fill the void they'd come to know.

Jim was still hurting over Lee, which was obvious. And a love like that? No model-thin reporter was going to erase what they had. Jim was looking haggard – all the drinking and the late nights catching monsters. Lee's engagement to Mario was taking its toll on the ex-detective, even if he didn't admit it aloud. This Valerie Vale was a placeholder and they both knew it. Harvey didn't have to pry it out of Jim, it was clear.

"Barnes say anything about springing me from suicide watch?" Jim broke their silence and Harvey tore his gaze away from the bar's mirror.

"Guy's full 'a hot air, he's always got somethin' to say." His sight set right back on the mirror, narrowing his eyes at the ladies in the corner booth.

"Am I boring you, Harvey?" Jim's voice droned on.

"Hm?" he glanced at him then back. "Ah, no, just…uh…thought I saw someone I know."

"Don't tell me it's Scottie. Harv, you need to…-"

"Not Scottie," Harvey muttered. "This chick I met following up on one of Alvarez's cases, like, three months ago."

"The one with the clown masks?" Jim recalled after a moment. Nodding, Harvey finished off his beer. "Go talk to her."

"Yeah, pass," Harvey motioned to the bartender.

"…Why?"

"She's young, Jim," he thought that would be enough but his partner was still giving him that look. "'Cause a pasty Irish guy like me ain't gonna fit the bill, okay?" He didn't spill the word vomit of ' _besides she reminds me of a certain someone_.'

Jim just shook his head, sipping on his beer. The two had spoken countless times about Harvey's situation. It wasn't something they needed to go back into tonight, or so Harvey thought.

"I'm gonna say what I always say, Harv: there was nothing you could've done differently."

Only there was and they both knew it. He could've turned down the job, not trusted the wrong guy. Yet here he was with all the memories flooding back to him; all the secrets, all the half-truths he told himself just to get through another day –to check off that calendar and hope to God he didn't look back.

"Another Labatt," Harvey called to the barkeep.

"-Make that two," came a voice from behind him. Harvey glanced back. "Captain, fancy seeing you here." Alexis stood beside him, raising her arm to rest on his shoulder. Her cheeks were pink and eyes a little glassy.

"Alexis, hey! Hate to disappoint, but I'm not Captain anymore, Barnes is back at it."

"Aw, damn. No more power tripping for you," she winked at him. "You come to bars by yourself often?"

Harvey could still feel the tingle in his fingertips from being referred to as 'captain' again. "Actually, I'm here with my…well, ex-partner, Jim." As Alexis peeked around him he leaned back and resisted the urge to take in the slight cleavage peeking out of her top just inches from his face.

"Jim Gordon, right?"

"Yeah, hey. Nice to meet you."

Her arm was still on him, but her fingers played with the ends of his hair. A jolt of  _something_  shot through Harvey and he found himself taking another gulp of beer.

"What are you doin' out during work hours?" Harvey joked. "Store's still standin', right?"

"At this point, I wouldn't care if it wasn't," she rolled her eyes and sighed, glancing behind her then stepping closer to his thigh. Her eyes trailed up to the TV screen above the bar. "And this is why we're out drinking tonight." Oswald Cobblepot was shown with the words 'winner' scrolled underneath.

"So Penguin's the new mayor of Gotham?" Harvey shook his head. "What have we gotten ourselves into?"

"Nothing good," Alexis mumbled, removing her arm from Harvey's shoulder. "Jim, another drink?"

"Thanks, but no," Jim held up his next shot. "I'm covered."

She pulled out some cash and slapped it on the bar as their drinks came. Harvey fished for his wallet but her hand was on his arm before he could get it. He paused when he felt her squeeze his bicep. "Please, detective, it's on me."

She grabbed her beer and went back to her booth before Harvey could manage anything. He merely watched her go.

"So," Jim interrupted Harvey's stare, "still think she wouldn't be interested?"

"Ahhh, shut it, Boy Scout."

The next time he saw Jim, there was a nervous look on his face. Several weeks since their drinking excursion – since Harvey passed out on Jim's couch and slept until 2 p.m. Woken up by Jim's new squeeze looking down her nose at him. He'd laughed it off, knowing that Jim was kicking him out because he was about to get his willy wet. But Jim's humored expression was gone when he stopped by with a case of beer and a few pizzas. Work had been busy as shit. He'd assumed Barnes was giving him cases just to fill his time and steer him away from Jim. To Harvey's annoyance, it'd worked.

He'd been looking forward to seeing him. It'd been too long and he missed Jim's presence. But the look he was giving him made Harvey wonder what was up. The older man honestly didn't want to ask. It was probably related to his girlfriend, probably some touchy-feely crap that he didn't wanna hear about.

After a half hour, two drinks, and too many awkward silences, he broke. "Okay, you're lookin' at me like someone who just masturbated before shaking my hand. What gives?"

Jim didn't react to that, just sat staring and blinking slow at the TV. "She come in yet?"

" _What_? Who?"

"That girl from the bar. Uh…Alexis?"

"What are you…-"

Now he made eye contact. "She quit her job, Harv." He was interested, yet not. Honestly, she'd been on his mind since the night at the bar. Since she flirted with him  _sorta_  and bought him a beer and squeezed at his bicep. Harvey hadn't really ever been fawned over before. The way she  _looked_ at him. It was honestly arousing. "The last monster I bagged tore up that record store pretty bad. After I got him, she was on the phone with her boss. She got pretty angry."

"Okay, so?"

"So…we got to talkin' and she's got a degree in library science."

"' _Library science'_?" Harvey repeated. "That's a thing?"

Jim stared blankly. "Yeah, that's a  _thing_ , s'what Kringle had." Harvey sipped his beer. "If I'm right, no one's stepped into her old position." He  _was_  right so Harvey couldn't correct him. "So I told her to call Barnes."

"You  _what_?"

A shrug. "Pretty sure someone finally getting back into that job is the least of your concerns, Bullock."

Irritation crept up Harvey's spine. Jim had no right poking around in his business like that. No right to be bothering a potentially interested party and suggesting that they  _work with him_.

"Jim-" his voice rose, ears reddening as he pointed a finger at the ex-detective.

"Calm down, Harvey. The place was a mess, she was angry…she probably forgot I'd even said anything."

So he let it roll off. Even if she did call, was Barnes in that desperate need to get the position filled? They'd been going on just fine getting files themselves. Well,  _getting them_  wasn't the problem. The problem was that no one put them back correctly. Finding them again was a whole other issue.

"You  _tryin'_ to make things awkward for me? Because it sure seems like it."

"It's only awkward if you  _make it_  awkward, Harv. Besides, isn't it about time you moved on? After Scottie and…" Harvey shot him a look. "Yeah. Okay." And the subject was dropped.

Yet when he walked into work that next morning, there was a pretty little woman in a pretty little dress sitting in Barnes' office doing paperwork.

"Juuuuust great…" Harvey muttered to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

"Bullock, welcome aboard our new Record Keeper, Alexis Kirk," Barnes introduced her, all cheery. It was like he'd completely missed the irritation on Harvey's face, like he hadn't noticed that there was a pretty woman who was possibly interested in the chubby detective – at least when she was tipsy – and he just  _hired her to work in close proximity to him._

Harvey had been trying to stay away from these situations –hadn't even had a hookup in months. When he was a high-profile captain of the GCPD, who knew what kinda wack jobs were lookin' to fuck with him. And he couldn't live with anyone else getting killed because of him. He couldn't bear the guilt.

"Hi," Harvey spoke tightly, shaking her hand then brushing right passed her and grabbing onto Barnes' shoulder. "Can we talk?"

"Bullock, not now. I've gotta show her the file room and get her situated. Place is a goddamn mess."

"Cap…"

"-It's fine. I can wait," Alexis assured sweetly and Harvey found himself rolling his eyes, trying his damnedest to be agitated by her. Maybe he could make himself hate her…

Office door closed, Harvey spoke quietly. "Look, this was Jim's suggestion. Okay? Jim Gordon? You know: tiny little pipsqueak, always making messes for you to fix?"

"I don't see what you're getting at," Barnes spoke.

Harvey clasped him on the shoulder again. "Pretty, petite thing like that in the big madhouse? You really think this is a solid idea?"

"She's highly qualified for the position, Bullock," his eyes searched Harvey's face. "Wait…you two…?" his eyes flashed out the window to Alexis. "I know your type, Bullock."

"No! No, no…" Harvey pulled away from him. "I'm just trying to be helpful."

"When have  _you_ ever been helpful?" Barnes accused, hobbling toward the door but pausing before opening it. He didn't turn when he spoke, "If this is because of the situation you found yourself in last year, you have nothing to worry about." A heavy ache settled itself between Harvey's ribs "She stays."

He slammed the door and Harvey stood in the office that was temporarily his not too long ago. Running his hand down his beard, he stared unblinking at the desk. Barnes had been right, the bastard. This  _was_ about the situation from last year. This was about a monster unlike any of the foul ones walking the streets of Gotham currently.

He wouldn't let her get close, he decided. It wasn't safe.

* * *

Mid-bite into a barbeque pulled pork sub, he saw her finally come out of that file room. He averted his attention too late and she made eye contact. Pretty soon a set of heel clicks sounded beside him but he didn't look up. There was paperwork on the desk that he probably shouldn't be eating over, but it would give the illusion he was working.

"Detective?" she spoke softly. Acting startled, Harvey quickly glanced up at her.

"Oh, Alexis!"

"I just…um…" her cheeks reddened. "Do you happen to have Jim Gordon's number? I…wanted to thank him for suggesting this job."

Harvey's eyes widened, mouth opening just slightly. Maybe he'd had her pegged wrong. Mind tracing back to the bar and the foggy memories: maybe he'd misjudged her. Maybe she hadn't been flirtatious – with him. Maybe Jim…

"Uh…yeah! Yeah. I got it…right here…" he put down the sub, wiped his hands, then dug through his pocket for his phone.

"Thank you, Harvey," she waited patiently as he jotted down Jim's number. When he handed it to her, he noticed her eyes were taking in the precinct. "So, how long do you think it'll take me to learn everyone's names?"

Harvey shrugged. "I'm still learning," he joked with a laugh. He wanted to end it there, not get friendly, but his curiosity got the best of him. "Couldn't take the record shop anymore?"

Alexis sighed softly. "Hated to do it, but it was a pretty rough part of town. With the amount of times I've been robbed there, the clown masks, and now the monster thing?"

"Yeah, that's shitty," Harvey agreed.

"Jim really helped out the other night. He was there before I even got a chance to call 911."

"That's Jim for ya." He picked up the sub and glanced back at the paperwork he wasn't really reading.

"Goodnight, Harvey," she placed her hand on his shoulder before making her way to the door.

Harvey couldn't help but watch her go, weaving away from desks and busy officers. The sway of her dress made memories flood his mind, but he focused on his food instead. So maybe he was overreacting and she was crushing on Jimbo. That might be good; give him an option other than Lee and Vale.

* * *

Having Jim back at GCPD was – to Harvey's surprise – a relief. Though he did get them into more headaches, Harvey missed having his partner there. That morning was no different –especially when Jim bought them breakfast burritos.

"Barnes been acting strange?" Jim inquired as Harvey started unwrapping the deliciousness.

"You're gonna have to be more specific, partner," Harvey spoke before taking a huge bite. "You mean angrier? Yeah." He swallowed. "I just assumed it's blue balls or some shit."

Jim's face fell, shooting him a deadpan look before asking, "And what about you, Harv?"

"What  _about_ me?" at his reply, Jim shot him another look. "Swimmin' in it, partner, can't ya tell?" He took another large bite.

At the sound of heel clicks behind him, Harvey felt himself tense and he tried to busy himself. It was becoming a habit. Jim bit back a grin.

"Harvey, here are those files you needed." Lexi set down a stack beside him.

"What files?" he spoke, mouth still full.

"-The ones about the Nicholson Avenue case. Jim told me you needed them."

Suddenly Harvey looked at his partner who was grinning widely. "You mean the case that's been closed for five months now. That we have  _nothing else to investigate_ about," he spoke pointedly at Jim.

"Uh…I'm not sure. I…" she glanced at Jim then, a sudden realization hitting her. "If you boys are playing some kind of game, I'm  _not_ joining you."

Harvey shook his head. "M'sorry, he just started on the job. Clueless rookie." He handed the files back to Lexi knowing that this was Jim's stupid attempt at some kind of matchmaking.

"Thank you, Lexi," Jim laughed. "I'm sorry. Won't happen again.  _Unprofessional._ "

Harvey took her in then and noticed the pinkness to her cheeks. She was clearly humored; at him or Jim he didn't know.

"When you boys are done playing games, go check out the breakroom. I made a bunch of brownies if anyone's interested."

With that, she took the file and walked away. Jim chuckled at Harvey's expression.

"She  _said_  she was gonna make brownies…" Jim shook his head, smirking.

Harvey's mouth fell open. "What, you're  _talkin'_  to her now?" Vale had broken up with him two days ago.

"Since when did you care, Harv?" Jim retorted. He narrowed his eyes as he finished his burrito. "She called to thank me for the job suggestion the other night when I was...debilitated."  _Drugged_ , Harvey remembered.

"I didn't need an explanation," Harvey assured him, standing up from his desk.

Jim scoffed. "Harvey, stop isolating yourself."

"I don't know what you're-"

"-Cut the crap, Harv. You're clearly trying to avoid her because of Elizabeth."

And there it was. Harvey grabbed onto the railing beside him, fingers gripping until they were white. No one had spoken her name in almost a year, not even Alfred. He held his breath; bit his tongue until it bled.

"Jim…" his voice broke slightly.

Gently Jim shook his head. "You can't keep doing this to yourself, man."

His focus was on his breathing: even, in, out. "If you'll excuse me," his voice sounded foreign to him. "Some brownies are calling my name." One foot in front of the other, he started down the stairs.  _Unsteady_ –he was so unsteady.

"Enjoy," Jim said earnestly.

How he ended up in the office, he didn't know. One minute he was walking down the hall to the break room, the other he'd made a sharp left into Elizabeth's old office. Same old empty desk, few storage boxes thrown in there now that the room was abandoned. The window was long sealed shut. It felt like yesterday was that spring day, breeze blowing through the window, Harvey breaking down in the office, Elizabeth's gentle fingers on his shoulder as she set aside all her counseling training and let him pull her into his lap.

But now he hardened himself, cleared his throat, straightened out his jacket, and made his way to the breakroom like he wasn't struggling to breathe.


End file.
